The phylum Mollusca is perhaps unmatched in its ability to produce, via biological nano-engineering, rigid and light weight shell microstructures that are also visually elegant and structurally complex. The resistance to fracture forces and the over-all toughness make these materials ideal models upon which to devise novel advanced bio-ceramics. Shell formation in the Eastern oyster Crassostrea viginica, is a cell-driven nanoscale process that involves hemocytes (blood cells) and the outer mantle epithelial cells (OME) of the mantle organ. The resultant bio-nanocomposite is composed of crystals embedded in a pericellular micromolecular complex (PMC) comprising proteins, peptides, lipids and carbohydrates.
A light weight durable coating comprised of microcrystalline calcite would serve as a biocompatible interface between inorganic materials, inter alia, metals such as those used in medical devices, and the body. In addition, controllable formation of microcrystalline calcite would lead to the formation of macrocrystalline particles, one example of which is the synthetic pearl.